22 November 2012

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" with every blog post that I write.... Not dreaming of actually having a white Christmas but dreaming of the movie, White Christmas. Every year at Thanksgiving, my sister, Mickey, and I would begin reading the TV guide for a listing of our favorite Christmas movies. Topping the list was 'White Christmas.' We watched 'White Christmas' on a black-and-white, 20-inch TV every year, singing along and shedding a few tears at the end each time.

White Christmaswas inspired by the song by the same name. The song debuted in another of our favorite movies, Holiday Inn. With a score written by Irving Berlin, the singing and dancing is what makes White Christmas a classic. As soon as White Christmas became available on VHS, it was on my list and given as a gift to my sister. A few years later, White Christmas in DVD form was under my tree. I just now noticed that the Anniversary Edition is available as a Blu Ray DVD - Santa? Mickey?

Being sisters and musically inclined, my sister and I performed 'Sisters, Sisters' from White Christmas for anyone, anytime. Sadly for our audiences, our talent was not in vocal music. You can see Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen perform "Sisters, Sisters" on YouTube as well as a rendition of the same performance by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

None of these compare to the spectacle my sister and I made singing about our sisterly love around the camp fire. No doubt our audience survived only because of the liquid refreshment they imbibed. My future brother-in-law could not believe our performance. Shaking his head, he remarked about our bravery (or was it stupidity?). I suppose we should feel lucky that there were no cameras present to permanently record our insanity.

With temperatures in the high 60s today, there is little chance of snow or even a Thanksgiving fire in the fireplace. Dreaming now of "Snow, Snow, Snow," another favorite song from White Christmas....

Mickey Warwick Sledding, photograph by Chet Warwick

Highlighted type links to further information or a YouTube video of a performance. Sepia Saturday had me reminiscing about good times with my sister. For more posts inspired by the photograph below, see Sepia Saturday 153. Which song was your favorite?

17 November 2012

An occupational hazard is "any condition of a job that can result in
illness or injury." Occupations that befuddle ancestral trails lead to
prolonged periods of disorientation and malaise - an occupational hazard
of doing genealogical research. The cures are as varied as our
ancestors' professions.
I've come to love my farmers for their ties to the land. As the
family grows the land divides or nearby farms are purchased. Any moves tend to be
along established migration routes; the farmers' travels documented
by land records.

Perennial movers
have me hitting the books. These are the sailors, train engineers,
military men, traveling salesmen, ministers and even a few
professionals. Anyone who has lived near an IBM facility knows the
alternate meaning of those three initials - "I've Been Moved." Perennial
movers might be found with a diligent study of sailing or train routes,
military or church records, even company addresses.

Among
the more difficult to track are those whose goods or services have
limited demand: blacksmiths, plumbers, weavers and more. In large
cities, there was enough work for a father and his sons to work
side-by-side. Not so in rural areas. Once training was complete, sons
dispersed with no more pattern than a random scatter plot.

Asa Ashton Manchester (1870-1934), photographer unknown

Asa Manchester (1870-1934) followed in his father's footsteps and became a copper smith applying his smithing skills as a plumber in Dayton, Ohio. Asa ultimately became Director of the Ohio State Bureau of Plumbing Inspectors precipitating his move to Columbus, Ohio. All of Asa's brothers were employed in the metal working industry in the 1890s and all but Asa and George remained in Dayton. Metal working skills were in high demand by National Cash Register (NCR) and the growing plumbing industry.

Asa's Grandfather and Grand Uncle were also copper smiths. Brothers, John and Richard, were plying their craft in the thriving steamboat building foundries of Cincinnati in the mid-1800s. When they left the Queen City for the rich farm land in west central Ohio, Richard became a farmer and ultimately followed the traditional migration trails west. Simple.

Not so with my ancestor, John. John trained his sons as copper smiths. When the small town could not support them all, the sons migrated to a scatter plot of locations near and far. George returned to Cincinnati; John moved to St. Louis; and Richard made his way to Dayton, Ohio.

Three families of metal workers, Asa - Richard - John took me on a journey from Columbus to Dayton to Piqua to Cincinnati in Ohio; Oklahoma City; Dayton Twp, Iowa; Manchester, England and places in between. Without census records and city directories, their whereabouts and stories might have remained a mystery.This is a rather circuitous route to the Sepia Saturdaytheme beginning with boys studying books, reminding me of my favorite photo of a studious Asa, reminding me of reading censuses and directories, taking me full circle back to the Sepia Saturday 152 theme. Though I doubt the boys were reading city directories or census records! Read more inspired by the photo below at Sepia Saturday 152.

09 November 2012

Mountain States Telephone Company was formed in 1911, about the same time this photograph was taken of Grand Lake, Colorado. About 40 years later, Mern Hopkins, an operator for Mountain States, was assigned to work in Grand Lake. Nestled high in the Colorado Rockies, Grand Lake was a tourist destination. Residents and visitors a enjoyed outdoor pursuits in the daytime and entertainment and dancing at night. In the photograph below, Mern is sporting a cast having recently broken her leg skiing.

Grand Lake was a small town then and remains so today. Mern told stories
of working as an operator directing calls. Those placing the calls
rarely gave their names relying on the operator's memory of their voice
or location. Frequently they asked to be connected using only first
names!

The young women who worked the switch boards were rarely at a loss for companionship. In the 1950s the Colorado-Big Thompson Project brought scores of young men to area to complete the project. Among them was Mern's future husband, Chet Warwick. For more on the happy couple, see The Honeymoon Hitch.

For more posts inspired by the photograph below, connect with Sepia Saturday 151 (no switch board required). For those interested in learning more about what Mern's job as an operator was like, see Wendy's excellent description at Sepia Saturday Smooth Operator.

01 November 2012

Sometimes a treasure is simply meant to be passed along. I've signed wedding books and funeral registers. More than a few of my friends’ high school yearbooks bear my signature and more! But this was the first time I had seen a birthday autograph book.

Autograph books have been around a long time, the earliest date from the mid-1500s functioning much the same way as college yearbooks do today.(1) Princeton University has a collection of autograph books of their graduates (1825-1884). The collection includes Charles P. Stratton's autograph book.(2) (No known relation.) The books capture the essence of a student’s college life with an emphasis on their social activities. Autograph books were popular in the 1800s, ultimately being replaced by yearbooks.

The social microcosm revealed by anecdotes in autograph books (and, later, yearbooks) is a subject for historians. As genealogists, our ancestors’ recollections of college life provide a glimpse into their personalities. They also include the names of the people who may have shaped our ancestor’s life after college - the sweethearts who became wives, the roommates who became business partners, the friends from afar who inspired a move to a new state....

I doubt that Charles P. Stratton’s autograph book much resembles the one owned by Charles W. Stratton. Charles W.’s book was received as a 6th birthday present in 1882.(3) The book omits the amusing commentary that might appear in a graduate’s book. Nevertheless each signature is a treasure to someone who has never seen the scrawl of their 2nd or 3rd or 4th great grandparent.

Charlie W. Stratton

from

Harry Mallory

Lee May 1, 1882

[Harry Mallory was Charlie's 1st cousin.]

Your Sincere Friend

Alice L. Fallon

Lee

Mass.

Nov. 19th 85

Aunt Minnie's best

wishes for "Charlie Boy."

May 1st, 1882.

[Probably Aunt Mary Couch (Baker) Mallory]

Sincerely yours

Mollie A. Herrick

Danbury

Conn

Very truly -

C. E. Cooper -

Dec. 1884

Always our friend

Stella Decker

Lee, Nov. 26th 1884

Your school-mate,

Robert Cheney

Lee,

Mass.

Jan 21st. 1886.

Jennie W. [H.?] Hunter

Glendale -

Mass.

May 1st 1882.

Harry J. Mallory

Lee

Mass

Always your friend

John McDermott

Lee Nov 26.

Sophronia McCartney.

Lee,

Mass.

Nov. 26th 1884.

Carrie E. Rising

Lee

Mass

Nov. 26, 1884.

Bridget Conroy

Lee

Mass.

Dec 5th 1884.

Carrie W. Graves.

Nov. 25th 1884.

Compliments of

Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Whipple

Westfield

Mass

Dec 1st 1884

Florence H. L[?]nes

Lee Mass 1885.

Nov

Always your friend

Mary M. MansfieldLee Mass.

Nov. 3d 1884

Always your friend.

Alice Videtto.

Lee Mass.

Your friend

Carrie O. Sedgwick -

Lenox, Mass. '85

Yours sincerely

Mary E. Washburn

Lenox. Feb 1885

"Hold on to that. You have an autograph. I'm going to be famous some day."Haywood Nelson

If you notice anyone famous, infamous or near and dear to you, please post a comment and tell us all a little more about them.